Jackal

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈdʒækÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -ækÉ™l

Origin

From Turkish çakal, from Persian شغال, from Sanskrit सृगाल (sṛgālá, "jackal")

"jackal." Online Etymology Dictionary. 2008.

Full definition of jackal

Noun

1. Any of several wild canine species, native to the tropical Old World, smaller than a wolf.
2. A person who performs menial/routine tasks, dogsbody
3. (pejorative) A person who behaves in an opportunistic way; especially a base collaborator.
4. (slang, rare) A jack (the playing card.)

Hyponyms

• black-backed jackal
• Cape jackal
• East African Jackal
• golden jackal
• side-striped jackal

Hypernyms

• canid

Related terms

• American jackal (the coyote)
• simian jackal (the Ethiopian Wolf)

Verb

1. To perform menial or routine tasks
• 1800, Pamphlets on British Taxation^{http://books.google.com/books?id=XB8JAQAAIAAJ}They have jackalled for the great beast, to pick in turns the bones of each other; they have subserved those above, to oppress and defraud those below; and they are suffering, and, so far as classes can, justly suffering their purgation.